Homemade Tzatziki

To start off the F&F Greek Week (now it’s official), I’m sharing a little recipe for one of my MOST favorite snack foods.

Ever been to a Greek restaurant and thought to yourself, “what on earth is this tasty white yogurt-ie sauce on my plate?! It’s wonderful and I can’t figure out what’s in it! Excuse me, waiter? May I have some more?”

Welp, I’m here to share: it’s called Tzatziki (pronounced za-ZEE-kee) and I figured out how to make it.

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek side dish/sauce made with Greek yogurt (shocker) and cucumber. It acts as a wonderful cool sauce for grilled spiced meats, dressing for a hearty Greek salad, or as a dipper for veggies and naan/pita.

It can be made with fresh mint or dill, if you have some handy and want to experiment with different flavors. I left mine simple and drizzled the top with a nice EVOO – just a little kiss of extra flavor.

I like to serve Tzatziki with cucumber discs, carrots, celery, spoons, grilled whole-wheat naan bread, and any other tasty veggie I deem, “dip-able!”

Although not paleo, this recipe definitely falls into the “clean foods” category.

This stuff makes me really really happy.

Enjoy.

Homemade Tzatziki

Makes ~2 cups

Ingredients:

500 g Greek Yogurt (one full container … I opt for fat free Fage)

½ Medium-Sized Cucumber (deseeded & finely chopped)

1 ½ Tbl Minced Garlic (~ 4 large cloves worth)

1 Lemon Juiced

2 Tbl White Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for garnish/drizzle)

Directions:

Pour the extra water off the top of the Greek yogurt. You want it to be as thick as possible. (Feel free to let the yogurt drain in a cheesecloth for a few hours for an extra thick texture).

Press the deseeded and chopped cucumber in cheesecloth or paper towels to absorb as much moisture as possible. Press down and squeeze, don’t worry about bruising.